Casing for at least partially receiving an applicator for cosmetic products

ABSTRACT

A casing for at least partially receiving an applicator for cosmetic products. The casing comprises a holder for holding the applicator in the casing and a casing sleeve which at least partially delimits a receiving space for the applicator. The relative position of the holder is adjustable relative to the casing sleeve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a casing for at least partially receiving anapplicator for cosmetic products, comprising a holder for holding theapplicator in the casing and a casing sleeve which at least partiallydelimits a receiving space for the applicator.

Casings of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specificationare known. With known casings, particularly when they are used forhigh-viscosity cosmetic products, the problem which arises is that thecosmetic product, in the absence of fluidicity, does not follow theforce of gravity so that even tilting or pivoting does not result in theworking region of the applicator being appropriately loaded. Thereforeit frequently happens that the casing together with the applicator hasto be discarded although there is still cosmetic product therein.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,186 discloses a casing with a holder which isaxially displaceable with respect to the casing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,415discloses a casing accommodating an applicator and having a bellowsarrangement. A holder with a screwthread is known from DE 197 44 181 A1.

The object of the present invention is to further develop the casing ofthe kind set forth in the opening part of this specification in such away that a better yield is achieved even in the case of a cosmeticproduct of comparatively high viscosity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention that object is attained in that the relativeposition of the holder is adjustable with respect to the casing sleeve,preferably with a component in a direction transversely with respect toa longitudinal axis of the casing, further preferably in the manner of apivotal movement.

In that respect the invention is based on the realisation that, with therelative position of the holder with respect to the casing sleeve, therelative position of a working region on the applicator will also changewith respect to the casing sleeve so that what virtually happens is thatthe working region of the applicator moves towards the cosmetic productwhich is highly viscous and therefore under some circumstances notcapable of flow, or can be moved into the product in order to removecosmetic product, whereby the yield is overall improved.

In accordance with an embodiment which is particularly simply preferred,a deformable connecting means is provided between the holder and thecasing sleeve. In that case, deformation of the connecting means isinvolved with adjustment of the relative position of the holder withrespect to the casing sleeve, which ultimately results in a relativemovement of the working region of the applicator in relation to thecosmetic product. In that way cosmetic product residues can be easilyremoved.

Preferably the connecting means has a bellows portion. This structureagain involves a configuration of a particularly simple nature of thecasing according to the invention.

The bellows portion in that case may have 1, 2 or more inward bulgeportions and/or 1, 2 or more outward bulge portions, wherein thedecision in that respect depends on the one hand on the given geometriesand on the other hand on the appearance which is sought for the casing.

The connecting means can be of a contour which is angular or arcuate insection. The decision in that respect will again be taken in particularin consideration of design aspects.

The connecting means in accordance with the invention can preferablycomprise an elastomeric material. That applies not just in relation tothe structure with the bellows portion. Rather, in accordance with theinvention, the specified elasticity can be the cause of adjustability ofthe relative position of the holder with respect to the casing sleeve.

A further preferred embodiment of the invention provides a cover meansfor at least partially covering the connecting means. Such a cover meanscan be provided in particular for two reasons. On the one hand, toconceal the connecting means if it is not desired for the connectingmeans to be visible, for aesthetic reasons. On the other hand however,for example by virtue of coloring, the cover means can also representinformation about the color of the cosmetic product.

The casing can in principle be of any form. In accordance with theinvention it is preferably cylindrical or bulbous. In particular, inconsideration of the invention, it is also possible to use such casingswhich, in the region in which the cosmetic product is received, have abulbous internal space because, even if the cosmetic product is viscous,it can in fact be picked up from the internal space which is increasedin size by virtue of the bulbous configuration.

In accordance with the invention the holder preferably has ascrewthread. That structure is advantageous in particular when theapplicator is to be held to the casing removably but nonethelesssealingly.

The most widely varying materials are suitable for the casing.Preferably it comprises thermoplastic material, in particularpolyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, polyamide, polyester, PET and ABS.

Particularly when using plastic materials, the casing is preferablyproduced by blow molding or by injection blow molding. That providesthat the manufacturing costs are particularly low.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter by means ofpreferred embodiments by way of example with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of an applicator with a casingin accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a casing in accordance with asecond embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a first casing 10 with a casing sleeve 12 and a holdingregion 14 on which a male screwthread 16 is provided. Disposed betweenthe holding region 14 and the casing sleeve 12 is a bellows portion 18having four outward bulge portions which are each of an angular contourin section and of which one is identified by way of example by referencenumeral 20. The bellows portion is surrounded by a flexible shrink tube22 which in color corresponds to the cosmetic product which is to beintroduced into the first casing, that is to say in the case of blackmascara for example black.

An applicator 24 comprising POM with a working region 26 in the form ofa brush at its free end is held in a holding region 28 of a secondcasing 30. A casing sleeve 32 of the second sleeve 30 carries a femalescrewthread 34 which matches the male screwthread 16 of the firstcasing. The casing sleeve 32 extends around a receiving space 36 for theapplicator 24. Instead of the brush it is also possible to provideflocked foam or a more pointed brush.

In the same manner the casing sleeve 12 extends around a receiving space38 which in other respects is delimited by a bottom 40 of the firstcasing 10. The receiving space 38 serves at the same time as a reservoirfor a cosmetic product (not shown) of comparatively high viscosity.

When the applicator 24 is pushed into the first casing and thereupon thescrewthreads 16 and 34 are screwed together the working region 26 of theapplicator 24 is disposed in the region near the bottom of the firstcasing 10. In that situation the holding region 14 serves to hold theapplicator 24. If in that operating position the holding region 28 ofthe second casing 30 and therewith the holding region 14 of the firstcasing 10 is pivoted with respect to the casing sleeve 12 of the firstcasing 10 towards the left in FIG. 1 (and thus transversely with respectto the longitudinal axis 44 of the casing 12), which is readily possibleby virtue of the flexibility of the bellows portion 18, then the workingregion 26 approaches the casing sleeve 12 of the first casing 10 at theright in FIG. 1 and can thus pick up cosmetic product which is disposednear the inside wall of the casing sleeve 12. In that way cosmeticmaterial which is disposed in FIG. 1 in the bottom right corner of thecasing sleeve 12 can be picked up with the working region 26 of theapplicator 24. It will be appreciated that the same also applies forother regions of the internal space 38 of the casing sleeve 12.

In comparison with a rigid connection of the holding region 14 to thecasing sleeve 12 therefore it is possible for considerably more cosmeticproduct to be picked up with the working region 26 of the applicator 24from the internal space 38 of the casing sleeve 12, and thatconsiderably improves the yield afforded.

The casing 10′ shown in FIG. 2 differs from the first casing 10 shown inFIG. 1 only insofar as the bellows portion 18 is replaced by an annulardisk 42 of elastomeric material such as for example rubber. The annulardisk is glued or fused to the casing sleeve 12 and the holding region14. In that way—just as in the case of the structure shown in FIG. 1—theholding region 14 can be pivoted towards the left in the view shown inFIG. 2 with respect to the casing sleeve 10 whereby the left-hand partof the annular disk 42 is compressed whereas the right-hand part isstretched. Accordingly that causes a working region 26 of an applicator24, which is disposed in the first casing 10′, to move into the bottomright corner of the casing sleeve 12 where it can pick up cosmeticproduct, even if that product should be of high viscosity.

Although this is not shown in the drawing, there are furtheralternatives in regard to the shrink tube 22.

For example, instead of the shrink tube, it is possible to use a ringcomprising a soft elastic plastic material which is injection molded orextruded and which prior to filling with the cosmetic product is firstlypushed over a mounting tube and then pushed over the holding region 14.

Instead, it is also possible for a ring to be applied in a pressure-lesscondition to the bellows portion 18 in an additional injection moldingor casting operation. In that case—as also in all other structures—byway of example a soft flexible plastic material such as for instancesilicone is used.

Finally, instead of the shrink tube 22, it is also possible to use aslitted ring or an open circular segment with mutually overlapping endscomprising a thermoplastic material.

Thermoplastic materials, in particular PET, PVC, nylon, polyamide andpolyester are considered as the material for the illustrated casingsleeves 12 and 32, the holding regions 14 and 28 and the bellows portion18. The same applies for the applicator 24. In particular the firstcasing 10 including the bellows portion 18 and the holding region 14 ismost easily to be produced by blow molding.

The two first casings 10 and 10′ are shown in the drawing as beingcylindrical. In consideration of the invention, in particular in respectof the bellows portion 18 and the annular disk 42 respectively, they canhowever also be of a bulbous or conical configuration without the yieldbeing adversely affected thereby.

The features of the invention which are disclosed in the foregoingdescription, in the claims and in the drawing can be essential bothindividually and also in any combinations for implementing the inventionin the various embodiments thereof.

1-11. (canceled)
 12. A casing for at least partially receiving anapplicator (24) for cosmetic products, comprising a holder (14; 28) forholding the applicator (24) in the casing (12; 30) and a casing sleeve(12; 32) which at least partially delimits a receiving space (38; 36)for the applicator (24), and means for adjusting the relative positionof the holder (14; 28) relative to the casing sleeve (12; 32).
 13. Acasing as set forth in claim 12, wherein the adjustment has a componentin a direction transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of thecasing (12; 30).
 14. A casing as set forth in claim 12 or claim 13,wherein the adjustment is a pivotal movement.
 15. A casing as set forthin claim 12, wherein the means for adjusting comprises a deformableconnecting means (18; 42) between the holder (14) and the casing sleeve(12).
 16. A casing as set forth in claim 15, wherein the deformableconnecting means comprises a bellows portion (18).
 17. A casing as setforth in claim 16, wherein the bellows portion (18) has at least oneinward bulge portion and/or outward bulge portion (20).
 18. A casing asset forth in one of claims 15 through 17, wherein the connecting means(18) is of a contour which is one of angular and arcuate in section. 19.A casing as set forth in one of claims 15 through 17, wherein theconnecting means (18, 42) comprises an elastomeric material.
 20. Acasing as set forth in claim 15 including a cover means (22) for atleast partially covering the connecting means (18, 42).
 21. A casing asset forth in claim 12, wherein the casing is one of cylindrical andbulbous.
 22. A casing as set forth in claim 12, wherein the holder (14)has a screwthread (16).